Given the propensity of cellists and cello lovers to bemoan the lack of solo repertory for the cello, it's a bit odd that these four works by composers who specialized in virtuoso violin repertory don't get dusted off and played more often. Both composers were perfectly capable of transferring their musical language to the cello, and all the pieces have difficult but suave and idiomatic cello parts. The Cello Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 50, of Henri Vieuxtemps is probably the stronger of his pair of concertos for the ...
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Given the propensity of cellists and cello lovers to bemoan the lack of solo repertory for the cello, it's a bit odd that these four works by composers who specialized in virtuoso violin repertory don't get dusted off and played more often. Both composers were perfectly capable of transferring their musical language to the cello, and all the pieces have difficult but suave and idiomatic cello parts. The Cello Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 50, of Henri Vieuxtemps is probably the stronger of his pair of concertos for the instrument. Vieuxtemps wrote the work in Algiers, where he had gone to recuperate from a stroke, and though it dates from near the end of his life it is overflowing with invention (check out the accompanied cadenza at the end of the opening movement) and boasts a blistering finale for the cellist. The earlier Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 46, has a highly melodic first movement, but perhaps less structural clarity than it needs; it may be that the later neglect of this work was...
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![Romantic Cello Concerto 6 [Alban Garhardt, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Josep Caballe-Domenech] [Hyperion: Cda67790]](https://www2.alibris-static.com/cover/o01048tzfmj_t.jpg)
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